Wednesday 17 February 2010 05.26 EST
First published on Wednesday 17 February 2010 05.26 EST

Nottinghamshire police have arrested the 70-year old television presenter Ray Gosling on suspicion of murder after he told BBC viewers he killed a former lover who was suffering in the advanced stages of Aids.

Gosling was arrested this morning, around 36 hours after he told the BBC's East Midlands Inside Out programme he had used a pillow to suffocate an unidentified young man he said was dying in hospital.

"We have arrested a 70-year-old man this morning on suspicion of murder following comments on the BBC's Inside Out programme on Monday," said a police spokesman. Further statements are expected later in the day.

He said keeping his silence was part of the "pact" he had made with the man, which involved Gosling taking his life if his condition progressed beyond a certain point. He also said he had had the tacit consent of a doctor for his act.

The arrest follows interviews by detectives from Nottinghamshire police's homicide unit of BBC staff connected with the show yesterday.

The BBC said it had no further information about the crime other than that broadcast during the programme, which was intended as a personal and "quirky" look at death.